Kindergarten Orientation Jackson Elementary School August 22, 2013

Introduction Dear Parents, Kindergarten is the beginning of your child’s formal education! This is the time to become acclimated to school culture. By becoming familiar with school culture, your child will learn classroom expectations, routines, and how to properly engage in social interactions.

Curriculum We are following the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) and the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). Students will be expected to apply their existing knowledge while learning new concepts. The curriculum allows your child to blossom as an individual learner.

Math Students will be applying their knowledge of skills they have learned or should have learned prior to coming to kindergarten. We will help develop a better understanding of applying numbers to objects. Our focus will be writing and recognizing numbers 0-10, counting to 100, comparing numbers, identifying greater than, less than or equal to. If they are not proficient with counting to 25, please continue to work with your child at night.

Reading The curriculum for Reading and comprehension also serves as phonics and fluency training. Your child will be learning all of these critical parts of reading through the Dr. Cupp Journals. Students and parents will be expected to review the most recent book sent home every night for at least 20 minutes.

Writing In kindergarten, writing begins with the child dictating to the teacher what they’ve drawn. We will be using a writing curriculum that allows for proper development in writing. We will be working on all genres of Writing throughout the year. The genres are Narrative, Persuasive and Informative.

Social Studies We will discuss community helpers, national holidays and the people or event celebrated, and American symbols. We will also discuss our address we live at, maps and globes, and what it means to be a good citizen.

Science We will discuss the 5 senses, describe weight, size, color and movement. We will also discuss time patterns (day and night), describe physical attributes of rocks and soil. Students will discuss different types of motion (straight, zigzag, back and forth, fast and slow, and motionless). Students will sort living and non-living organisms according to their physical attributes.

Assessment We will complete an assessment every 8 weeks that compile all required standards that have been covered. In this assessment, each standard will be rated as a 1, 2, or 3. When a one (1) is received, the child does not meet the standard. When a two(2) is received, the child is in progress of meeting the standard, and a three (3) is meeting the standard. This information will be transferred to the progress report/report card.

Conclusion We are looking forward to working with each of you this coming year. With open communication between the teachers and parents, we can insure a successful year. Please keep in mind that the first point of contact should be the teacher. No one knows the situation better than the teacher.

Thank you for your continued support!